JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — With more Americans getting vaccinated there are concerns that some people may start slacking off by removing their masks and neglecting to keep socially distant.
Shots are sometimes seen as the cure to COVID, but masks have been and remain the first line of defense.
“We’d all like to be back to not having to wear mask and reroute back to February of last year where there were no mask, and we’re getting there and I think that the progress that we’ve made with people getting vaccinated is leading us there," said Dr. Albert Holt, Chief Medical Officer for Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville.
Dr. Holt says even after getting the vaccine you need to mask up.
“Fully vaccinated means that your less likely to have symptomatic infection we still are uncertain that you’re not able to be carrier for it," said Dr. Holt.
Some may think that after getting the COVID shot means you’ve overcome the virus and that’s just not the case.
“We know a lot of people are experiencing what we call COVID fatigue and it’s a complex range of emotions of boredom, loneliness, and frustration," said Dr. Tracy Alloway, a psychology professor at the University of North Florida.
Dr. Alloway says a way to get over that fatigue is to let yourself feel that emotion.
“First of all, allow yourself to experience that emotion without having to apologize or rationalize and second of all be sure to follow up with a positive reframing. what are you grateful for," said Dr. Alloway.
Dr. Holt says we still have ways to go to reaching herd immunity and to not let our guard down.